


The Story Of Us

by MyEnglishRose



Series: A Timeless Charm (Asian Countries-centered works) [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, But also, F/M, Fluff without Plot, Historical References, Human & Country Names Used (Hetalia), Light Angst, Unrequited Love, it's very vague and probably inaccurate because history is complicated dear god, kind of, oh wait i forgot one important tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 14:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15997124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyEnglishRose/pseuds/MyEnglishRose
Summary: A field of lotus flowers, an abnormally tiny elephant and two people carefully dancing on the bridge over the pond. Thailand is coming to terms with the feelings he has for Vietnam, fully knowing they aren't reciprocated in the sense he wants to, but it doesn't stop him from trying to convey everything with their embrace.





	The Story Of Us

**Author's Note:**

> Human names used, Kiet for Thailand and Lien for Vietnam.  
> Other Asian characters mentioned through their names so Naveen is India, Mei is Taiwan, Cheng is Macao and Jia is Hong Kong  
> Other ships are hinted such as AmeViet, JapTai, and RoChu, but blink and you'll miss it lol well except for the first one because... Thai is one jealous boy. This is my first work in the fandom in years and this just in... English isn't my first language. I study English though and have a course called "Creative Writing" so I'm still learning how to write in English haha. I have fun at least but sorry for any errors ~

This must be paradise, Kiet thinks to himself, hugging his baby elephant closer to his chest and watching the sun reflects its light on Lien's face. Her already golden skin seems to glow even more, while her long ebony hair seems to dance around her, helped by the gentle breeze.

She let her hair down for once, and Kiet knows the symbolism behind such a simple act around him and smiles to himself. She is also only wearing a comfortable and simple white dress, floating around her rather than hugging tightly her slim body, and not her beloved ao dai, much like himself isn't in his usual attire, opting for a white tee-shirt with shorts and sandals instead for this day off together – something they rarely get these days, or at least, at the same time, since their bosses don't know they hang out together this much.

“Can I?” Lien suddenly asks as she stops walking and gestures to the elephant.

Kiet only smiles as a response, even Toto seems to light up and reach for the young woman with his trunk. So, she carefully take the abnormally tiny animal in her arms, hugging him tightly and nuzzling his ears. The elephant seems to make a pleasant noise, and closes his eyes, cuddling closer to her.

“You know,” Kiet speaks up again when they resume their walking in this long bridge, “elephants react to us like we react to puppies. They think we're cute ana.”

“I know,” Lien replies, her eyes on the pond of lotus flowers beneath them.

“I'm secretly convinced Toto likes you better than me ana. He thinks you're the cutest of them all. He does resemble me after all.”

“Kiet stop,” Lien mumbles, now blushing, and Kiet only chuckles at such shyness exhibited by this strong and apathetic woman. A woman he fought throughout the years, a lot, and thus despite her being his senior, like Naveen. Now, he doesn't remember why those wars happened, at least not precisely, but knowing what they've both put the other through, even during the awful Vietnam War, it is quite a miracle that they are here, now, walking in peace, and birds chirping happily above them.

He knows he isn't the first to share one of these moments with Lien, even if it makes his blood boil, he must admit it to himself. He knows she probably had a lot of these moments when she grew up with Yao and Naveen, he knows she loves going through Mei's gardens with a careless smile and that one of her favorite activities is to go down a river in a small boat with Kiku. He knows that he probably follows the exact same path Francis, once upon a time, walked through when Lien was under his control, or Alfred later when he and Lien met again, years after the war, to make up. It was a meeting dreaded by most of them, in Asia. After they've all recovered from the Cold War (and Yong Soo and Lien more specifically from their own internal wars), they all finally met up to promise each other that they would always consider each other family regardless of their duties as nations. It wasn't easy. The first few years, India and China still threw death glares to the other behind Vietnam's back, the latter still isolated herself at any occasion she had and South Korea never bothered to even pretend he liked Japan.

Eventually, it lead to what they have today, a kind of dysfunctional family maybe, but they love each other and after thousands of years, they can finally separate the person from the nation. If they're not talking about politics or economics, they will always look after each other.

So of course everyone was opposed to the personal meeting with the American when Vietnam agreed without a second thought. And of course, she didn't listen to their concerns and had Alfred come in the very ground he burned.

The next day, Thailand came to visit just after the American left and she briefed him about this whole meeting.

_“He lost his innocence to me,” she had said, looking pained for the blond and Kiet wanted to protest, that she, of all people, shouldn't feel empathy for this man, but he kept silent. “It's... incredible really. He went through all those internal fights, the World Wars, but it's against me he finally lost and a fight, and the respect of the whole world.”_

_“Is that what this meeting was about?” Kiet had asked, frowning and one of his rare annoyed faces on. “Making you feel bad for him?”_

_“Calm down Kiet,” Lien had admonished immediately, making him pout like a child again. She just had this effect on him, “Besides, you helped him fight me, remember?”_

_“I wanted to put some sense in you and was told to do so, and I failed, but that didn't mean I approved his methods.”_

_“You despised me for the decisions I made,” Lien said slowly, looking at him dead in the eyes, “all of you in the South East eyed me suspiciously and didn't bother to separate the orders I had to obey and my own feelings. I was your protector once upon a time and suddenly I was the enemy.”_

_“I know but-”_

_“But nothing, Thailand,” she cut him off, hands tightening in fists, “I chose Russia, and China, though. I chose to fight against America because he was one of the responsible for my land being ripped in half only so I could be manipulated, or so he and France thought. I don't feel bad for him, far from it, we both came out of this conflict traumatized. But it's been decades, holding grudges in the world we live in is useless.”_

_He stayed silent and observed her. She looked conflicted, eyes tightly shut as if to block any emotions she could convey through her golden pearls. But Kiet had always been someone observant, even as a child when he couldn't understand a lot of things and watched Naveen or Lien come back home with bandages and battle wounds but a smile on their faces._

_But then, her face suddenly softened, all the tension in her body leaving her in the blink of an eye and she looked so vulnerable for a second, so weak, Kiet was afraid she would just faint._

_“Holding grudges is useless today,” she whispered, voice barely audible. “Alfred was mature enough to come to me and apologize to start anew. Like what we did between us. We've all focused too much on our roles as nations, maybe it's time to focus a bit more on what makes us humans too, don't you think?”_

But Kiet wasn't satisfied, he felt like there was something else playing in favor of the American that he couldn't get out of his mind. Kiet knows that despite Lien's cold face, compared to Mei who tends to just fall for any guy and girl smiling at her (even if Kiku is still her number one), she too can find herself being weak against a guy's handsome face, after all, she always is a little more clumsier around Naveen. The difference, however, is that being the old nation he is, Naveen doesn't believe in the utility of such foolish relationships they would need to hide from their bosses anyway. He is a gentleman but Kiet knows he doesn't believe in love between nations, only strong friendships though the way he looks at Lien sometimes says otherwise. Alfred however, is young, full of hopes and dreams still despite everything he's been through in such little time, was greatly influenced by Arthur and Francis who are both undoubtedly hopeless romantics, and is very much straightforward when it comes to his feelings. Kiet can see Lien being attracted to that. After all she did end up falling a little bit in love with the French culture and _Francis_ because they represented something entirely new and when she gained her independence from the man she took the red ribbon he gave her to tie her hair with, still keeping a part of the man with her at all times even though she acts cold with him ever since – even if she did warm up to him again in the recent years.

Actions, little and seemingly insignificant ones, always spoke louder than words with her.

“What are you thinking so hard about? I don't like seeing a frown on that precious face,” Lien's voice suddenly brings him back to the present and he isn't really proud of the way he literally jumps and nearly falls upon seeing the woman's face so close to his. “Do you need Toto back?” she asks slowly, intelligently not saying a thing about his clumsiness.

The elephant doesn't seem to agree with the idea of going back in Kiet's arms because somehow he manages to turn around in Lien's, snuggling even closer to her chest.

“He seems to want to stay with you, so no ana. Don't worry.”

“Well then,” A pause, “so what were you thinking about?”

“... America, ana.”

He sees the way she raises an eyebrow carefully, inquiring him to continue.

However, he can't seem to find his voice again, only frowning at himself, starting to feel frustrated by his own self. But suddenly, Lien's hands are on his face, forcing him to look down at her, concern shining in her eyes. He wonders for a brief second where Toto is, before seeing the tiny animal in the corner of his eye, trying to touch the water with his trunk.

“Stop that, you're scaring me,” she admits lowly, rubbing her index finger in the space between his eyebrows, making him laugh. “Better,” she smiles softly. “I won't ask further then, forget Alfred, he's not here.” 

It still feels like he is, everywhere that is. This American technically is, isn't he?

“Kiet,” Lien says simply as she takes a few steps back. Kiet only hums as a response, smile back on his lips, “I want to dance. Do you know how now? Or will you still step on my feet like last time?” she asks jokingly, looking mischievous as ever, referring to the Christmas Ball Francis organized last year.

The man technically only invited Lien, Yao and Kiku, but Kiku brought Mei as his date, Naveen and Yong Soo invited themselves (one to converse with Arthur again, the other to bother the hell out of Yao despite the older man going with Ivan) while Lien considered not going, afraid of being alone, until Mei and Cheng encouraged her to go anyway, and somehow they suggested that he came with her (well, Jia and Cheng, who stayed home to work a bit, basically threatened to kidnap Toto and keep him if he didn't keep an eye on Lien. They really took seriously the woman when one day she said they were like her and Mei's personal bodyguards).

Turned out, he really only watched Lien the whole time. 

As soon as he got one dance with the woman, Alfred came to them and just like that, Kiet spent the rest of the event looking at Lien going from partner to partner, starting with Alfred who liked to twirl around best (and by that he means, Alfred was the one twirling while Lien watched kind of amused at the way the American tried to bend down to be able to go under her arm), spending some time with Arthur too who, as a perfect gentleman, managed to make her blush with a smile and a kiss on the back of her hand before their dance, and Francis with whom she seemed to relax and look younger, somehow, only to end in Naveen's arms. Kiet then stared for a while at the couple he for a long time considered as his sort of parents, quite fascinated by how at ease they looked, waltzing around the room, attracting even the Westerners' fascinated gazes. On the other hand, he could see Yao, Kiku and Mei still struggling to look comfortable in such a European atmosphere (Yong Soo couldn't care less about fitting in and was just chatting loudly with whoever was ready to listen to him claiming ownership on everything. Kiet became that person though he only was half listening and too busy looking around the ballroom).

But Naveen and Lien? They've grown accustomed to this. Lien particularly often expressed her love for these balls as surprising as it sounds for a girl who loves to battle and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She prefers to wear suits instead of those inconvenient big dresses, though. But that day, Lien chose to surprise them when she showed up wearing one of the dresses Francis gave, even made, her. A long white dress, hugging her skin on her upper body but the cut of the skirt reminding of her usual ao dai with golden embroidery littering the right side. She let her hair down, decorating it with a headband made of pearls (courtesy of Philippines, probably). Many people didn't recognize her, and to be fair, even Kiet and the other Asians had to blink several times upon seeing her at first to be sure she was their Lien, their suspicion confirmed when Francis greeted her first, looking like he was ready to outright cry at the sight of the dress he took so much time to make.

That day, it just hit Kiet once more.

He was so in love when he shouldn't be and it hurt.

“I'm a proper gentleman now Lien,” he replies eventually, smiling again as he takes one of her hand and kisses its back. She doesn't blush and only raises an eyebrow in amusement, “I'm no longer the clumsy young boy you seem to remember me to be, somehow ana.”

“Well just a second ago you nearly fell when I asked you a question,” she muses.

“You know what I mean!” Kiet protests, almost pouting again.

“Prove me wrong, then,” she giggles.

At that he can't help but frown just a little, but it disappeared quick enough for Lien not to notice. It will probably always bother him. She still sees him as that young nation she tried once to raise but partly failed. On the other hand, Alfred is _so_ much younger and yet _he_ gets the girl's respect because he gave her a hard time. He was a challenge, Kiet was not.

Softly, carefully, he brings her closer, his other hand finding its place on Lien's slender waist. She hums, seemingly satisfied, intertwining their fingers while a small hand rests on his shoulder. As if on cue, the wind intensifies, making Lien's hair fly, almost covering her glowing face, but Kiet's gaze is still focused on her golden eyes staring back at him with something close to fondness in them.

Slowly, they start to move, steps falling in sync in some rhythm as they resume their walk but wrapped in each other's arms and waltzing, twirling, in the gentle breeze, his elephant following joyously behind them. He twirls her around every once in a while, sending the lovely girl in a fit of giggles he revels in. When Kiet spots the end of the long bridge, however, he realizes how he doesn't want this moment to end just yet, so he suddenly lifts the older woman in his arms, making her yelp as he ends up carrying her bridal style.

She's barefoot, he only notices then, when his eyes fall on her legs dangling in the air as she grumbles something in Vietnamese under her breath.

“Kiet what are you doing! Put me down!” she yells at last clearly, ears red and for a few moments Kiet only stares, fascinated, for some reason, and a sort of pride bubbling in his chest at the thought of him provoking such reaction from the woman, finally.

“Do you really want me to ana?” he asks instead, tightening his hold. “Your feet look like they're hurting.”

There's a bit of silence, letting the Thai man the time to rest against the barrier as Lien calms down and his eyes wander once again to the pond beneath them, the lotuses' petals sparkling with the late sun's light shining on them.

Toto, however, feels left out and starts stomping his feet and trumpets. The two nations stare at the animal for a while, before Kiet lets Lien down and as if on queue, Toto manages to jump back in Lien's arms, making the girl almost fall at the impact – the elephant might be small but he is still very heavy. Kiet hurries to steady her with two firm hands on her shoulders.

“At this point, it isn't even a guess, he just likes you better than me ana,” Kiet points out.

“I think it is mostly because he doesn't see me as much as he does you,” Lien replies when suddenly, Toto trumpets louder than before, spraying water in his owner's direction. Both nations yelp but the personification of Thailand also jumps back at such coldness being thrown so suddenly at him and once again, nearly falls backward over the fence.

“Toto!” he glares at his own pet who somehow looks smug as he snuggles closer to Lien, ignoring him royally. “He never acts like that what in the name of-”

“Now now calm down,” the Asian woman intervenes before he can pronounce any profanity, “let's head back to mine, shall we?”

Kiet wants to protest, he doesn't want their time to end just yet, but he knows, as he sees the sun beginning to set, that they've run out of time. They won't see each other before the next World or ASEAN meeting, then. He sighs and nods and they start to walk. By pure instinct, he reaches out and rests a hand on her lower back. She doesn't pull away, nor does she comment on it, and they walk silently to her house, content with listening to the music of nature like earlier.

When they arrive, he tries to ignore the bouquet of red roses waiting for Lien on her porch and chases away his thoughts wondering who they might come from.

**Author's Note:**

> The ending is CRAP I didn't know how to end this rip I just wanted to keep the ambiguity so this has a rather open ending


End file.
